The Peyton Walker Foundation is honored to participate in rescheduled Trinity High School’s football game coin toss this Friday, September 17 in honor of alumni Peyton Walker.
FOOTBALL GAME DETAILS:
WHAT: COIN TOSS for Trinity vs. Halifax
WHEN: 7:00 pm kickoff time, 6:45 pm coin toss (approximate), COBO Field, 3601 Simpson Ferry Road, Camp Hill.
WHO: Julie Walker, Peyton’s Mom
Foundation Executive Director and Peyton’s Mom Julie Walker said, “We’re honored to participate at the upcoming Trinity football game, at Peyton’s alma mater, to raise awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest – the #1 killer of student athletes and leading cause of death on school campuses. The Foundation works relentlessly to save other families from the devastating heartache of losing a child to SCA. We are hoping to help Trinity raise funds to install the next SaveStation at COBO Field, making an AED accessible 24/7. We’re incredibly grateful for community partners like Trinity High School who support our initiatives to check hearts, protect hearts & save lives.”
Trinity High School Principal John Cominsky added, “Trinity High School is pleased to partner once again with the Peyton Walker Foundation. The foundation’s ongoing mission to educate students and their families about Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and the importance of testing students is critical to the health of our young people. Their leadership in providing training and equipment to institutions like Trinity helps us to provide the safest environment that we can for our community. And we know what is at stake. Peyton Walker was a graduate of Trinity’s Class of 2012 and was only 19 when she lost her life to SCA. We ask the Trinity community to learn more about the foundation and their vital mission at this weekend’s game!”
Peyton Walker graduated from Trinity High School in 2012. Just 16 months later, Sudden Cardiac Arrest stole Peyton’s young life without warning. To date, the Foundation has passed Peyton’s Law to protect young hearts, provided heart screenings to over 3,000 kids, donated over 210 defibrillators, and trained thousands of Central PA residents in how to perform CPR and save a life. The Foundation also provided CPR certification training for Trinity High School’s Football Coaches.
“As a coach, I understand that sudden cardiac arrest is the #1 killer of student athletes. Thanks to the work of The Peyton Walker Foundation, our practice and game fields have AEDs, our kids have access to heart screenings, and our coaches have been fully certified in CPR and AED use. They truly are saving lives,” stressed Trinity Head Football Coach Jordan Hill.
The Peyton Walker Foundation, one of the country’s prominent heart screening advocates, continues to remind parents, student athletes and coaches about the signs and symptoms of Sudden Cardiac Arrest in youth, as student athletes tackle the Fall Sports Season across the state.
Since the unanimous passage of “Peyton’s Law” just over a year ago, Peyton’s Law requires:
- That the importance of EKG testing and how it can help detect heart issues leading to SCA is included in the PIAA form that student athletes and their parents/guardians have to review and sign prior to participating in school athletics.
- Schools to include information in this PIAA form outlining the option to request an EKG from a family’s medical provider, at their expense, during a comprehensive physical examination.
- The PA Department of Education (PDE) also developed and posts information on their website about SCA – including warning signs/symptoms – and the importance of EKG testing for students.
The Peyton Walker Foundation’s goal is to continue educating parents and students about the prevalence of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and the importance of Electrocardiogram (EKG) testing of youth.
Nonprofit organizations and sports teams can request a free AED by contacting the Foundation. For more information on Peyton’s Law or on the Foundation, go to PeytonWalker.org.
ABOUT THE PEYTON WALKER FOUNDATION:
Peyton Walker was a 19-year-old Mechanicsburg native, 2012 Trinity High School graduate, and a sophomore in college who was pursuing a career as a Physician Assistant at King’s College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, when she suffered a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) that took her young and vibrant life on November 2, 2013. Afterward, her family started researching Sudden Cardiac Arrest and found that kids are dying every day from undiagnosed heart issues. THE PEYTON WALKER FOUNDATION was established in honor of Peyton’s memory and her dreams of working in the medical profession to help and care for others. The Foundation’s mission is to increase awareness and survival rates of Sudden Cardiac Arrest through education, screening and training. Events, screenings and important updates can be found at PeytonWalker.org.
To date, they are proud to have screened over 3,500 students leading to potentially life-saving medical attention for many students. The Foundation also provides AED and CPR training to every STUDENT who attends their heart screenings allowing students and their families a chance to perform hands-on CPR and gain a better understanding of what an AED is and how to use it. The Foundation has donated over 210 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to date, and also has provided over $90,000 in educational scholarships and hundreds of other FREE community CPR and AED Trainings.
The Peyton Walker Foundation, under the leadership of Walker, has worked with UPMC Pinnacle, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Duke University, Penn State Children’s Hospital, WellSpan, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health, Geisinger Health, PIAA, Big 33, PA Scholastic Football Coaches Association and other agencies in an effort to save young lives. Advocates, parents and medical professionals recognize that more can be done to protect student athletes to reduce the occurrence of SCA in our children.
Facts about Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA):
- SCA is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. (over 600,000 annually).
- SCA is the #1 killer of student athletes in the U.S.
- Every hour, every day, a student dies from SCA. The majority of those deaths are attributed to detectable and treatable heart conditions that went undiagnosed due to the limited scope of standard sports physicals and well-child check-ups.
- SCA is the leading cause of death on school campuses.
- Survival rates of SCA are less than 10%.
- Some warning symptoms that can lead to SCA include: dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, chest pain, lightheadedness, and passing out. The first symptom of SCA is often sudden death. However, the use of AEDs and CPR increase the chances of surviving an SCA event.